INSIDE EDITION INVESTIGATES: 

ARE AIRPORTS FOLLOWING SAFE CLEANING PROCEDURES DURING COVID-19? 

AN INSIDE EDITION INVESTIGATION PROMPTS REVIEW AFTER FINDING PASSENGER AREAS WERE APPARENTLY UNCLEANED FOR DAYS AT ONE OF NATIONS BUSIEST AIRPORTS 

PLEASE MENTION AIR DATE ON MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14^th

Check local listings at www.insideedition.com

VIDEO LINK (MUST CREDIT INSIDE EDITION AND LINK BACK):

https://ietv.co/3mhTZOJ

New York, NY – September 14, 2020 – As the travel industry struggles to stay afloat amidst COVID-19, airports across the country have said they’ve implemented strict cleaning procedures to make travelers feel safe. In an investigation airing on Monday, INSIDE EDITION puts one of the busiest terminals at New York’s JFK International Airport, Terminal 4, to the test to see if they’re following the rigorous protocols they say they’ve put in place. 

INSIDE EDITION producers used a harmless, washable ink to apply INSIDE EDITION’slogo – only visible under UV light – to highly touched surfaces all throughout Terminal 4. The ink was painted on rows of seats, the men’s bathroom, elevator buttons and even the counter where you check-in before your flight. 

After marking the frequently touched surfaces with the invisible ink, INSIDE EDITION’s Senior Correspondent, Les Trent,returned to the terminal at JFK International Airport three days later to find some shocking results.  

The first stop was the airport bathroom, where INSIDE EDITION found the invisible ink glowing brightly on the handles of all five doors.  

INSIDE EDITION discovered a similar situation inside an elevator at Terminal 4. After three days, the buttons had apparently still not been wiped clean.  

Next up was the seating area at Gate B29, where you wait to board your flight. INSIDE EDITION’s producers painted the show’s logo with invisible ink on thirteen seats. Although the ink is easily removed with a simple disinfectant wipe, the logo was still everywhere it was placed.

INSIDE EDITION watched as the airport cleaning crews swept and mopped the floors, vacuumed the carpet and took out the trash, but apparently no one bothered to wipe down any of the 32 armrests our producers painted with the invisible ink.   

As for the counter where you check-in before boarding your flight? The three INSIDE EDITION logos that were painted days prior were still glowing with ink.   

When asked about INSIDE EDITION’s investigation, the Port Authority of New York said they “insist on the highest safety standards in all of its airport terminals.” Adding, it will “undertake a thorough review with the terminal operator” of the “cleaning and disinfecting protocols to ensure that their processes comply with these high standards.”  

The company that operates Terminal 4 of the JFK International Airport said they are “committed to ensuring the safety” of its customers. Adding, that “fluorescent marker program systems are not always consistent indicators of whether or not a disinfecting cleaning process actually took place on certain surfaces,” but they are “implementing a cleaning audit program” to verify their cleaning processes are effective. 

For Inside Edition’s full report, tune in on Monday, September 14th. Check local listings for times and stations in your area.

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INSIDE EDITION is produced daily by Inside Edition Inc. and distributed by CBS Television Distribution.

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Press Contact:

Bettina Cataldi

Publicity Assistant

INSIDE EDITION

516-780-2785 (c)

Bettina.Cataldi@cbs.com